Garment



Oct; 14, 1941. s. WELLINS ET AL 2,259,235

' GARMENT Fil'ed March 31, 1959 2 Sheets-Shet 1 INVENTORS SIDNFY WEZl/VS MURRAY Will/NS BY Oct. 14, 1941. s. VVVELLINS ET AL.

GARMENT Filed March 31, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS 'S/DNEY Will/N5 MURRAY waz/ BY Q 2 MTTORNEY Patented Oct. 14, 1941 GARMENT Sidney Wellins, Cedar-burst, and Murray Wellins, Lawrence, N. Y.

Application March 31, 1939, Serial No. 265,090

4 Claims.

This invention relates to garments. It is particularly directed to a maternityskirt or dress adjustable to accommodate varying sizes of the waist of the wearer.

An object of this invention is to provide a garment of the character described, which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to adjust, comfortable to wear, attractive in appearance, and practical and eflicient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplifled in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a garment embodying the invention, illustrated in the form of a skirt;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the upper portion of the skirt opened up to full size;

Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of a portion of the skirt;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2; v

Fig. 6 is a front perspective view of a dress embodying the invention Fig. 7 is an enlarged, front, elevational view of a portion of the dress shown in Fig. 6, opened up to full width;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a front perspective view of a garment embodying the invention, and illustrating a modified construction; and

Fig. 10 is afront perspective view of the garment shown in Fig. 9, with the smock removed.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, Ill designates a garment embodying. the invention, shown for the purpose of illustration in the form of a skirt. The skirt ID has at the front thereof, and adjacent the upper end thereof, an insert l2 stitched to the skirt on a line of stitching [3.

The insert I2 is made of a piece of cloth preferably similar to the cloth of which the rest of the skirt is made, but cut on a bias, as shown in threads running in inclined direction to the verticaL.

The piece of cloth I2 is fan shaped having upwardly and outwardly inclined side edges l4, and a curved bottom edge [5, interconnecting the inclined side edges H. The upper or top edge ll of the piece of cloth I2 is rounded, being higher at the middle than at the ends, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The cut edge l3 of the skirt Ill which accommodates the insert I2 is U-shaped, as shown in Fig. 1

of the drawings, the insert l2 comprising more cloth than the portion of the skirt l0 which is cut away to accommodate the insert, whereby the insert I2 provides a fullness allowing for expansion of the waist of the wearer during pregnancy, as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

The length of the upper edge I! of the insert I 2, is greater than the normal length between the points 22 of the skirt, at the upper ends of the cut edge l9, whereby to increase the normal waistline of the skirt.

The insert l2 may be formed with a plurality of pleats 24 diverging upwardly, whereby to take up the fullness of the insert when the pleats are in folded condition.

Means is provided for taking in or shortening the upper edge of the insert l2, whereby to reduce the waistline of the garment. To this end, there is stitched to the inner side of theinsert [2 along its upper edge l1, astrip 28 stitched along three parallel lines of stitching 29, 30 and 3|, forming two parallel, co-extensive tubular pockets 33 and 34. Each tubular pocket is open at one end. The upper tubular pocket 33 is closed at one end 31, and the lower pocket 34 is closed at the other end 38.

Extending within the upper tubular pocket 33 is an elongated flexible strap 39, stitched to the closed end 31 of the pocket. Strap 39 extends beyond the other open end of said pocket. Disposed within the lower tubular pocket 34 is an elongated flexible strap 40, stitched at the closed end 38 of said pocket, and projecting beyond the open end of the pocket.

Stitched to the skirt l0, adjacent the open end of the tubular pocket 34. is one end of a strap 42, and stitched to said skirt adjacent the open Fig. 2 of the drawings, with the woof and warp to be shortened and exposing greater lengths of said straps. The straps are pulled in until the skirt fits snugly around the waistline of the wearer. The strap 39 may then be tied into a bow 45 with the strap 44; and the strap 48 may be tied into a bow 46, with the strap 42. When the straps 39 and 40 are pulled, the pleats 24 take up the fullness of the insert l2.

Itwill be noted that the straps 39 and 48 are conveniently located where they may be easily grasped by the two hands of the wearer, and pulled in opposite directions to draw the waistline of the skirt snugly against the wearer's body. The straps 39 and 44 may then be conveniently tied into bows with the straps 48 and 42.

In Figs. 6, 7 and 8 there is shown a garment lea, embodying the invention, and illustrating a modified construction. The garment Illa, for the purpose of illustration, is in the form of a dress, and is cut full at the waistline to permit for expansion at that part of the garment.

Stitched to the inside of the dress, at the front of the dress, and at about the waistline of the latter, is a horizontal strip 50 of cloth stitched on 68, stitched to the closed end 54a of said pocket, and passing through the opening 56 to the outside. In the lower pocket is a strap 6| stitched to the closed end 51, and passing through the opening 58 to the outside. The waist portion of the dress may be gathered in ordecreased in girth by pulling in opposite directions on the ends of the straps 68 and 6|.

Means is provided to tie the-straps 68 and 6| to retain the dress in adjusted position. To this end, there is stitched to the dress, at the waistline thereof, as at 65, an elongated strap 66 long enough to extend all around the back of the dress. I

Strap 66 has end portions 6'! and 68 extending forwardly at the front of the dress. The

strap 68 may be tied in a bow ID to the end portion of strap 60, whereas the strap end 61 may be tied into a bow H with the end portion of the strap 6|.

In Figs. 9 and 10 there is shown a garment embodying the invention, and illustrating a modifled construction. comprises a dress BI and smock 82. The dress 8| has a skirt portion 83, similar to the skirt In of Fig. 1, and likewise provided with an insert I 2 adapted to be drawn in by strings 39, 48, withpockets 33 and 34, and tied into bows 45 and Stitched to the skirt 83, however, is at waist portion 85 formed with a central, inverted, U- shaped cut-out 86, extending above the cut-out IS in the skirt 83. The cut-out 86 permits free- The garment 88 of Fig. 9

dom of expansion and growth of the part of the abdomen above the waistline. The smock 82 which may be of conventional construction, covers the cut-out 86 as well as the insert l2.

in will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A garment having at the waistline a pair of tubularyparallel, co-extensive pockets, a flexible strap within one pocket attached to one end of the tubular pocket and projecting from the other end thereof, a strap within the other tubular pocket attached to an end of the second tubular pocket, adjacent the latter end of the first pocket, and projecting from an end of the second pocket adjacent the first end of the first pocket, the projecting strap ends being adapted to be pulled in opposite directions for drawing in the waistline of the garment, and means on the garment for attaching the strap ends to retain the waistline of the garment against expansion.

2. A garment comprising a skirt having a U-shaped cut-out extending to the waistline thereof, an insert of cloth stitched to the U-shaped edge of the cut-out, the upper edge of the insert being greater in length than the distance between the upper ends of the U-shaped cut-out, a pair of tubular pockets adjacent the upper ends of the insert, straps within said pockets, one attached at one end and the other attached at an opposite end, the free end of each strap'projecting from each pocket, whereby said straps may be pulled in opposite directions to draw in the upper edge of said insert, to decrease the waistline of said skirt, and strap means on said skirt adapted to be tied to the outer ends of the first straps to retain the skirt against expansion in waistline.

3. A garment .comprising a skirt portion and a waist portion, said skirt being formed with a cut-out at the front thereof, and extending from the waistline to below the waistline, an insert stitched to the edge of said cut-out, said insert being of greater dimension than the cut-out, to provide fullness to permit expansion of the waistline of the-skirt, means for reducing the waistline of the skirt and for retaining said waistline in reduced condition, the waist portion of said garment having a cut-out extending above the insert, from the waistline up at the front of said waist portion.

4. A garment comprising a skirt portion and a waist portion, said skirt being formed with a cut-out at the front thereof, and extending from the waistline to below the waistline, an insert stitched to the edge of said cut-out, said insert being of greater dimension than the cut-out, to provide fullness to permit expansion of the waistline of the skirt, means for reducing the waistline of the skirt and for retaining said waistline in reduced condition, the waist por-- tion of said garment having a cut-out extending above the insert, from the waistline up at the front of said waist portion, and asmock covering said waist portion of the cut-out therein, and the insert in the skirt portion, said insert being cut on the bias.

SIDNEY WELLINS. MURRAY WELLINS. 

